Hello, I'm just now starting to pursue my interest in the paranormal, I believe I need to have a solid understanding & backround before I go jumping into things like trying to contact my mother, or medeling at all. Any suggestions on where I should be starting would be very helpful to me right now. I see all kinds of books, but you have to wonder which ones are legit or not so much. Thanks in advance

Contacting spirits of the departed is not a pick up the phone and call home kind of thing. Only few people claim they can do it, and I believe none of them. Contacting a ghost that is haunting an area is easy, they are already in our plane of existence. We can interact with them, and that is the whole point of ghost hunting. Trying to contact someone on the other side that is not an active haunting is a very daunting task. We currently do not have enough answers about what happens once they leave our realm to know how to find them. SOMETIMES family members do come back to say stuff to you, or help you out in dire times. These are rare but do happen, if they do that would be your best shot at talking. Just going out ghost hunting in general will help you get a better understanding of ghosts, and might help out quite a bit.

Interests:The PA Paranormal Association (PAPA) is dedicated to investigating paranormal phenomenon in a scientific and open-minded fashion. We strive to help uncover the truth regarding the unexplained while helping anyone who seeks our services.

Posted 19 July 2012 - 06:00 PM

Meditating is a great and relatively safe place to begin. It's always good to say a prayer, even something as simple as "God, please keep me protected and safe." (or whatever your religious beliefs are.) Surround yourself with white light and breath deeply and evenly.

Everyone meditates differently. There is no right or wrong way if it works for you. I'll give you my basics to give you an idea...
I lay down (although sometimes I end up falling asleep), or sit comfortably resting my head back and not crossing my legs or arms. I do some deep breathing, relaxing my body starting with my feet, working my way up to my head. I usually start by imagining myself in a field, sometimes there's a tree I sit under, sometimes there's a rainbow I climb over, sometimes I'll end up at my "building."

-The tree is usually for times I just want an escape to peacefulness and not necessarily for any specific purpose.
-The rainbow is often when I'm struggling with something in life and I need help finding answers or making decisions...climbing over the rainbow --which is sometimes more difficult than other times--represents my working through the problem to find the solution. Once on the other side of the rainbow I may have better clarity of the situation, I may see a completely new scene that I just keep moving through until there is some sort of resolution and awareness in my conscious.
-The "building" is a simple one room building that at some point over the years I developed in my mind as a safe, peaceful, calming place. It's decorated to what I like, had smells and sounds that are peaceful to me, it's often where I get "visitors."

I've met my spirit guide, pets who have passed and my great grandmother, although she came to me as a child. She told me her first name but didn't tell me who she was. We just visited, not necessarily talked, just appreciated each others company for a time. At one point, I somehow became "aware" she was my great-grandmother, I asked her and she confirmed. Now I'm not aware of ever knowing her first name, only her middle (that she went by) and she had red hair as a child which I never knew (red hair doesn't run in our family and the only portrait of her is as an adult with brown hair.) I asked my grandmother about it, she confirmed her name and her physical description of this woman I never met...at least in the physical world.

Now, you'll have those who are skeptical and say it was my imagination and so on. I don't care. It meant something to me, imaginary or not, it is special to me, that's what matters. If it happened all in my head, I'm still happier having had that "imaginary" moment.

I book that I recommend for learning to meditate is by Sylvia Browne (I'm a fan of some things of hers but not all, but I do like this book.) "Contacting Your Spirit Guide." It helps go through meditation to meet your spirit guide, but can help in general or meeting others as well. Also, whoever does happen to show up in your meditations (unless you get a bad vibe or uncomfortable feeling with them) welcome them and enjoy your time with them until whoever you're looking for (your mother) does happen to show up.

I'd recommend findind a local paranormal team that has some experience and has been around for a while (also one who practices protection and doesn't go in looking for trouble) to ask them for some "training." Even if you don't want to be a ghost hunter necessarily, they may be able to direct you in staying safe.